threadWEAR 301

​Overlapping seams are a wonderful finishing technique to use on fabrics that won't fray. Many of you were introduced to the technique with our Chateau Coat, where we integrated overlapping seams into the construction method. In this month's Sew Confident! Linda creates a variation on the Chateau Coat, using wool jersey. Today we want to share with you her tips for creating overlapping seams with wool jersey, as well as give you a peak at the Chateau Popover tutorial. Enjoy!

We love the look of our Florence Shirt. It combines all the classic elements of a button-down shirt with unexpected twists like a draped front tuck and a back band with button details. Though not hard to make, a garment pattern this detailed does take some time. And sometimes, you just want to knock out a new project. Something simple that you can cut, sew and wear in just a day. With that in mind, Erin came up with a variation on the Florence. It has the same great look, but made from a knit and it goes together in no time!

​It's here! The first Sew Confident! tutorial of 2017, the San Diego Bomber. If you haven't used our SewConfident! tutorials before, they are our monthly digital tutorials that can be subscribed to by the year, or bought individually as they are released (a first for 2017!). This year our theme is Variations With Verve and each month we will be sharing techniques for customizing patterns for your unique style, To kick off the year, Erin demonstrates how she transformed our San Diego pattern into this on-trend bomber jacket.

​Velvet is the ultimate luxury fabric. For many, the deep, rich qualities of velvet bring to mind everything from sumptuous royal gowns to memories of special occasion holiday dresses worn as a child. As this holiday season approaches – and the holiday party invitations start trickling in – I have found myself thinking of creating new velvet pieces for my wardrobe. But I don't want these garments to be worn just for special occasion, I want to be able to bask in the luxury of velvet after the party season ends.

Erin is wearing our Stella top and Valencia pants. The dark purple velvet of the Stella top has a subtle print that makes the color even richer. The Stella top is a great choice for this fabric because it really shows off the drape of the velvet fabric. While the Stella on its own is a loose fitting garment, it isn't so blousy that you can't tuck it in. A trendy wide belt is the perfect accessory to pull the outfit together, while accentuating your waist line.

Sometimes the simplest tools can be the best. Take the humble tweezer. Sure, it has been stereotyped as a bathroom-only apparatus used only for splinters and the stray eyebrow hair. But the tweezer is more than that, it is an apparatus that can be used in the most delicate of sewing situations.

Fall fashion trends come and go, but few have the staying power of leather. The leather motorcycle jacket became a classic look the instant Marlon Brando roared into movie theaters on his motorcycle in The Wild One in 1953. Nothing says sleek, sexy – and rebellious – like leather. Whether you are wearing a full jacket or just a pop of leather trim, leather can take your look to the next level.

There's definitely something in the air. At the same time that I was producing the June Sew Confident! tutorial about using photos and magazine images as inspirations to build mood boards for wardrobe and sewing concepts, my daughter, Alex, was doing a similar thing in her fashion design class at ESMOD design school in Paris, France.

Sew Confident! Class in a Flash is an electronic educational program produced by Linda Lee that not only offers how-to tutorials relating to garment-making and The Sewing Workshop Pattern Collection, but gives you processes and ideas that enhance our collection with pattern variation suggestions, fitting solutions, wardrobe ideas, and signature sewing techniques.

The tutorials are presented in a step-by-step format rather than as a continuous video. By stopping the action at the point of interest, you will be able to work at your own pace and successfully recreate the technique that will give you the right results. Linda Lee shows you how to create more than you ever thought you could. Do even more when you buy the patterns, too.

Find out more quickly: Watch Preview, Year 1, Year 2, Year 3, Year 4, Download Help

Take a class on your time, any time!

• Available on a Flash drive or download from our website• View it on your computer, iPad, Kindle or other portable device• Start, stop and restart any time• Reuse as often as you like• Print the program content (it's a PDF) and build your sewing library• Choose a specific class or buy a whole year (12 classes) and SAVE!

"How to Measure" PDF - Measurement Chart, Ease Charts and a How to Measure Guide

As the year goes on, a new tutorial will be added each month! Enjoy!

Click the links below to download your tutorials...JanuarySewing with Knits Update - Make the Eureka Top + Eureka Top Long Sleeve PatternFebruary Tee for Two - Modifications to Make Two Basic T-ShirtsMarch It's a Wrap! Graphic Wrap SkirtsApril Sleeve Plackets + Shirt-Sleeve Placket PatternMay PantpourriJune July August September October November December